Realizing the historical past of how dishonest getting older fighters might be with themselves, it’s solely pure to marvel what turns into of former two-time 140-pound world champion Regis Prograis as he stares down an abroad battle in opposition to a youthful, higher-ranked opponent.
Is Saturday’s match in opposition to England’s Jack Catterall in Manchester a closing reckoning for Prograis? Or is it the proper alternative for the 35-year-old to regenerate himself following final 12 months’s beyond-sluggish title-fight loss to Devin Haney?
Because of this the group will arrive at Co-op Dwell Enviornment, why the viewing public will watch on DAZN and why Prograis, 29-2 (24 KOs), rejected the premise that the downhill portion of his profession has arrived.
“Sure, you have to all the time ask your self, ‘Can I nonetheless do that?’ I do know I can. (The decline of age) shouldn’t be an element in any respect,” Prograis informed BoxingScene/ProBox TV Monday.
“I can nonetheless do all of the work. I’m nonetheless quick. My reflexes are nonetheless robust. I simply need to go on the market and present folks I nonetheless have it. I really feel higher than after I was 27. I nonetheless can take punches. My physique remains to be sturdy. I’ve my velocity, I’ve all the things.
“We are able to speak all day. I simply need to present folks. Saturday night time for me is all about exhibiting I can erase any doubts in anybody’s thoughts, telling them, ‘Don’t ever doubt me once more.’”
If Prograis’ self-defensive phrases appeared overdone, maybe that’s as a result of his final bout was so undercooked.
He set a CompuBox file within the worst method by touchdown solely 36 punches in 12 rounds as Devin Haney defended his WBC 140-pound belt December 9 by scoring a third-round knockdown en path to a clear sweep (120-107) on all three judges’ scorecards in Haney’s hometown of San Francisco.
That bout appears without end in the past given all that occurred in Haney’s scandal-ridden no-contest bout in April in opposition to Ryan Garcia.
“With the Haney battle, it was a thoughts factor,” Prograis stated. “I had a variety of distractions occurring contained in the camp. I educated too lengthy. Every thing that would’ve gone dangerous went dangerous.
“It was a giant psychological warfare factor, too, being that we did all of the speaking. That was one thing I took on. I used to be having fun with speaking all that (stuff) to (Haney’s father-manager-trainer) Invoice (Haney) as a substitute of fascinated about the battle. My coach was doing the identical factor they usually type of obtained into our heads about speaking. Mentally, I used to be already crushed.
“And, sure, (Haney) has a very good type, however I feel Jack Catterall’s type is made for me.”
Catterall, 31, is coming off his most essential victory but, a Could 25 unanimous-decision overcome former undisputed 140-pound champion Josh Taylor two years after many consider Catterall, 29-1 (13 KOs), took Taylor’s belts in a disputed split-decision triumph for the Scot who had beforehand defeated Prograis by majority determination in an October 2019 unification bout on the O2 Enviornment.
Now, Prograis returns abroad and once more embraces this “me-against-the-world” mindset in a bout that happens 25 miles from Catterall’s hometown of Chorley.
“I do have doubts about (Catterall’s) resume as a result of he’s not on my stage. We’ve got two frequent opponents: Josh Taylor and Tyrone McKenna, who I ended in six rounds and he went the space with, with Tyrone pushing him,” Prograis stated. “(Taylor’s) his finest win. If you happen to take Josh Taylor off my resume, I’m nonetheless a two-time champion. If you happen to take him off his, the place does (Catterall) go?
“There’s nothing else, and there’s ranges. I need to present folks my expertise are ranges above his … not just some. He’ll see.”
By being ranked No. 2 by the WBC and WBO, Catterall is slotted to step in as a soon-to-be challenger to the winner of the pending WBC title bout between Alberto Puello and Sandor Martin, and to WBO champion Teofimo Lopez, particularly if top-ranked Arnold Barboza Jr. loses subsequent month to former champion Jose Ramirez in Saudi Arabia.
Prograis, ranked No. 7 by three of the sanctioning our bodies, sees a path again to a title battle by defeating Catterall.
“That’s an actual good factor. That is most likely the largest battle you may make at 140 exterior of getting the belts on the road,” he stated. “I need to be a champion once more so I do know it’s going to return (towards me) even faster. Once I misplaced my belt to Josh Taylor, it took me three years to win a championship once more. It received’t take me one other three years. I simply need to go on the market and carry out and be me and have enjoyable. Day-after-day of sparring was a very good day – 95 per cent – for me. Earlier than each spherical, my coach would inform me, ‘Go have enjoyable.’ If I do this, I’ll present my stage. I need to present my expertise. Clearly, I’m a giant puncher. I need to present myself being relaxed, going on the market and having enjoyable.”
He both executes that plan or Prograis dangers sinking into an abyss of consecutive defeats, realizing the desk calendar of his profession is seeing beneficial days fly away – for good.
“I misplaced the belt to Josh Taylor, obtained it again in opposition to a killer by knocking out Jose Zepeda, a man who’d by no means been stopped,” Prograis reminded.
“Don’t doubt me. You can’t doubt me. I’m nonetheless the person at 140. I’m nonetheless him.”
